Elliot and Olivia Reunion scene
by svuaddict07
Summary: Elliot returns to New York and finally explains to Olivia the real reason for his sudden departure. Given the recent events of season 15, this is how I picture their reunion going. Written in script form because that's how I thought of it.


_Scene: Apartment of Olivia Benson. It is nighttime. Olivia enters the kitchen, places her bag on the counter, gets a glass out of a cabinet and is filling it with water when she hears a knock at the door. She jumps. She sets the glass on the counter and opens the door slowly. Standing in the doorway is Elliot Stabler. Olivia's jaw drops._

Olivia: _(in total shock) _Elliot? What…what are you doing here? Where have you been?

Elliot: Cragen called me to offer me Munch's job. When I turned him down, and told me about what happened to you. Can I come in?

Olivia: _(still in shock) _Yeah, sure.

_Elliot enters. He and Olivia sit down, he on the sofa and she in a chair. _

Elliot: I figured I should come check on you…you ok, Liv?

Olivia: Well…not quite.

Elliot: You want to talk about it?

Olivia: _(sighing) _Not really. Except, everything we tell victims is…wait. I'm sure Cragen already told you everything. I think you're the one who needs to be answering questions here. Where the hell have you been?

Elliot: Omaha.

Olivia: You're kidding.

Elliot: Nope.

Olivia: Why?

Elliot: I needed to get away. Far away.

Olivia: So you went to Omaha?

Elliot: Believe it or not they have a thriving special victims unit. They put me in charge.

Olivia: Special victims? If it wasn't special victims you were trying to get away from then what the hell was it? Why wouldn't you just take the job here?

_Elliot looks at the ground. He pauses._

Elliot: This wouldn't have happened if I was in New York.

Olivia: What are you talking about?

Elliot: You would never have had to go through that attack. You're the last person on earth to deserve that and if I had stayed…

Olivia: Elliot, stop. It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault.

_She moves over to the sofa._

Olivia: Tell me why you're really here.

_Elliot looks at the ground again, taking a deep breath. He responds slowly, choosing each word carefully._

Elliot: I didn't think, after what you'd been through…I never thought what I did to you was fair, just leaving like I did. But after Cragen called, I knew I owed you an explanation.

_Olivia is hanging on every word._

Elliot: You know I love you, Olivia, and I was stupid enough to think that being away from you would change that. But as much as I love you, I still love Kathy too. We've been through so much, and we have kids, and I just can't give that up.

_Olivia has tears in her eyes. Elliot too is getting a little choked up._

Elliot: So I moved away. Except the problem is, I don't love you any less.

Olivia: I love you too, Elliot.

Elliot: I know. But I _can't_ leave Kathy for you. And I'm a lot less likely to leave my wife for a woman who's a few thousand miles away. That's why I turned down Cragen's offer. So, as long as you're ok-

Olivia: You can't expect me to be ok, Elliot, it's not fair!

Elliot: You know what I mean. I can't stay.

Olivia: _(pulling herself together) _You're right. That's what you need to do. You need to go back to Omaha, and I need to stay right here.

Elliot: I hate that is has to be this way.

Olivia: You hate it? At the end of the day you still get to go home to a wife who loves you. You have two women in love with you and the only man I've ever really loved is sitting right in front of me telling me everything I always knew but could keep on denying until…until now.

Elliot: What about Cassidy?

Olivia: What about him?

Elliot: Do you love him?

Olivia: _(Sighs) _Is there anything Cragen didn't tell you?

Elliot: Not really.

Olivia: _(a pause) _He's ok. He's not you.

_Elliot looks deeply into Olivia's eyes. He leans forward and kisses her. _

Olivia: That kind of defeats the whole purpose your speech.

Elliot: I needed to do it just once, for old time's sake.

_He kisses her again, with more passion._

Olivia: _(half-jokingly) _Now you're just being selfish.

Elliot: I know. I should leave

_They both stand._

Olivia: So now what? Will you ever come back?

Elliot: Maybe someday, if I get things figured out, I'll come back.

Olivia: _(reluctantly) _Or...maybe you shouldn't.

Elliot: Yeah. Maybe you're right. _(a pause)_ Bye, Liv.

_They embrace. The embrace is not passionate, but is filled with over 15 years of love and acceptance._

Olivia: Bye, El.

_He exits, shutting the door behind him with a soft thud and a click. Olivia sits down on the couch and begins to cry._ _We see Elliot outside, his hand lingering on the doorknob for several seconds before he finally turns away._


End file.
